Pair Sentenced To Decades In Prison For Death Of Kidnapped 13-Year-Old Detroit Boy

DETROIT (WWJ) - A man and woman who plead guilty to killing a 13-year-old Detroit boy will spend the next few decades behind bars.

A Wayne County Circuit Court judge on Friday sentenced Gregory Walker to 40 to 60 years in prison, and Lillian Roberts to 24 to 40 years prison, in the death of Deontae Mitchell. Both pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping charges. Walker also received an additional two years for felony firearm.

Both Walker, 45, and Roberts, 44, apologized to Mitchell's family before the sentences were handed down.

"I apologize for being here, for having you here and wasting the court's time on this matter," Roberts said. "I would like to apologize to the Mitchell family, just for my involvement -- period."

"I would just like to say I am sorry to the family," said Walker.

Mitchell's mother was present for the hearing but declined to address the court or speak with reporters.

Roberts' 27-year-old son, Earnest Coleman, was sentenced last week to 14 to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges including torture, unlawful imprisonment, and felony firearm.

Prosecutors say Mitchell was abducted, beaten and choked to death after he picked up about $70 that was dropped outside of an east side convenience store.

Walker killed Mitchell, according to prosecutors, with help from his girlfriend and her son, Roberts and Coleman, on May 31. The boy's body was later found in a vacant lot.

Deontae's cousin told police that he disappeared a short time after he picked up some money dropped by "a drunk man" outside Nino's party store, an east side market where the pair had been riding their bikes.

Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Deontae rode away with about $70 of cash but later was found by the trio. Police the next day released chilling surveillance video showing Deontae being pursued by a man, grabbed, and forced into a car.

Deontae's body was found June 2, hidden in tall grass in a vacant lot at Harper and Baldwin in Detroit. Later that day, Walker and Roberts were arrested at Toledo hotel; and Coleman was taken into custody in Detroit.

During trial, a witness testified that he'd been shopping at Nino's that night and he saw Walker there, armed with a pistol.

"As I left out of the store, I see the gentleman here pull up in a black car, pull a gun out and say: 'I'm tied of these young (expletive) out here,'" the witness said. "And he raised the gun and he fired a shot off. A lot of kids out, and they all scattered."

He identified Walker as the shooter, but said he did not see Mitchell and could not tell if there was anyone else with Walker in the car.